A coalition of Labour MPs met this week with national union Unison to discuss ways to strengthen the voluntary sector.

The event included shadow minister for the cabinet Paul Goggins, who outlined Labour’s view on the Big Society, and MP Alun Michael, the first minister to be given responsibility for the voluntary sector during Labour’s 13-year reign.

Goggins said the Big Society should not be seen as a means for commissioners to drive down costs, while Michael (pictured) said it was important to define what was meant by the Big Society and who it included:

“The Big Society deals with a great range of groups which mean different things to different people,” said Michael. “The charitable sector is a regulated group, while the voluntary sector has such a range, volunteer goes across the public and private sector and campaigning is a different group.

“It’s quite difficult to talk about these labels without context.”

Michael also said the Compact, which he helped develop ten years ago, was still in an embryonic stage and needed to be strengthened.

Other issues raised at the meeting was the effect of public spending cuts on the voluntary sector, the personalisation agenda and the impact on charities of payment-by-results government contracts.